On Jan. 15, the Santa Clara Planning Commission finally took action on a proposal to increase cell phone service for AT&T customers along Benton Street near Santa Clara High School. This is the fourth time the issue has gone before the Planning Commission; it was delayed the three previous times. In 2020, AT&T submitted plans … Read more
With the zoning code updates approved in December, the Santa Clara Planning Commission was tasked on May 22 with approving zoning changes for individual parcels of land and making minor tweaks to the code’s language. It was supposed to be an easy fix without much debate, but it turned into a lot more. State law … Read more
A light agenda for the Planning Commission to start 2024 cleared the way for a deeper discussion about the Commission’s goals and what it would like to relay to the City Council about the future of Santa Clara. The Planning Commission is set to have a joint session with the Council on Jan. 30. To … Read more
A request for approval of a tentative vesting map for the site at 5185 Lafayette Street led to a larger debate over government overreach and other issues at the Dec. 6 Planning Commission meeting. The 198-unit housing development was initially on the consent calendar but was pulled by members of the community. A local business … Read more
The Santa Clara Planning Commission tackled two major City projects in its two most recent meetings, recommending both for approval. The Downtown Precise plan and the Zoning Code update now head to the City Council for approval. Downtown Precise Plan Reshapes Vision of Santa Clara’s Downtown During the Planning Commission’s Oct. 25 meeting, City staff … Read more
A quick meeting of the Santa Clara Planning Commission on Oct. 11. In less than an hour, the commission dispatched all of the City business before it and headed home for the night. The only item on the agenda was a tentative subdivision map for the property located at 3378-86 El Camino Real. The lot … Read more
The City of Santa Clara is closing in on a modernized zoning code. On Sept. 20, the Planning Commission heard part one of a two-part presentation on the City’s zoning code update. Santa Clara’s original zoning code was adopted in 1969. While the City has made individual updates on an as needed basis, this is … Read more
A portion of the Bay Area’s housing crisis played out in front of the Planning Commission on Aug. 23. What seemed like a routine request to add on to a Santa Clara home in the Old Quad neighborhood turned into a larger conversation about the high cost of housing and how local educators could possibly … Read more
What appeared to be a routine change to the City’s ordinance code in favor of green energy was not well met by Santa Clara’s Planning Commission on April 12. Commissioners discussed at length a plan to amend Zoning Code Section 18.60.050 to make fuel cells and photovoltaic panels an allowable use, meaning they will not … Read more
Santa Clara’s Planning Commission welcomed its newest Commissioner, Mario Bouza, on Aug. 24. Bouza joins the Planning Commission after the contentious appointment and then removal of Santa Clara businessman Ron Patrick from the Commission. Bouza is a Santa Clara native who previously served on Santa Clara’s Civil Service Commission. He is a retired local businessman. … Read more